Jackson Browne Mourns the Loss of His Son Ethan at 52
Renowned singer-songwriter Jackson Browne has shared heartbreaking news: his son, who appeared in several films, has died at the age of 52.
Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, has passed away. He was 52.
According to a Facebook statement posted by Jackson, 77, on Wednesday, the Raising Helen actor was discovered “unresponsive in his home” on Tuesday morning.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away,” the announcement read, as reported by Page Six.
“We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.”
A representative for Jackson did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Jackson and Phyllis Major welcomed Ethan in 1973, marrying two years later in 1975. Their marriage ended in 1976 following Major’s tragic death by suicide at the age of 30.
In a 2021 conversation with Route Magazine, Jackson reflected on that loss, saying his son became his “main focus” afterward.
“I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father,” Jackson said at the time. “And I looked at it like this — if I have to only be a father, I hope I’ll know it, and just do that.”
Ethan went on to build a career as both an actor and a model.
As an infant, he appeared with his father on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1974, at just six months old. He later acted alongside Angelina Jolie in 1995’s Hackers and had a role in the 2004 Kate Hudson film Raising Helen.
His screen work also included a one-episode appearance on the Batman spin-off series Birds of Prey in 2002.
In the modeling world, he featured in campaigns for designers such as Isaac Mizrahi — a detail noted in producer Mark Ronson’s memoir Night People, according to People.
This article first appeared in Page Six and is republished here with permission.